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D-10TKt TMtS-fttPOftTE* TMUM. AW 17,1MOCNf9M*W PmUOCimA. OHIOmadeBy VELMA GRIFFIN T-R Staff CorrespondentThe statement that the “Fighting McCooks of Civil War Fame contributed more manpower in that conflict than any other family of either the North or the South has gone unchallenged for over 100 yearsOf the 15 McCooks who had military careers. 14 of them fought in the war between the statesThe fifteenth did not because he died before the Civil War beaan The first John James McCook, a graduate of Annapolis Naval Academy, died at seaoff the coast of South America In 1842 while serving on the frigate “Delaware under the command of Adm Fanagut He had contracted a fever from over long exposure while on duty, and was buried in the English burying ground at Rio de Janeiro. BrazilWhile the “Fighting McCooks usually are spoken of as one family, they were, of course, two: Daniel McCook, who built the McCook House at Carrollton, and his sons, known as the “Tribe of Dan, and the sons of Dr John McCook of New Lisbon (Lisbon) and Steubenville, known as the Tribe of John.Of the 14 who saw active duty in the conflict, five were John's sons, while the other nine were Ma) Daniel McCook and his eight living sonsMany persons hearing the term “Fighting McCooks,” visualize them as being rough characters but this is as far removed from the tTuth as night is from day. They were handsome, well-educated men, each having a college education or its equivalent(Seventeen year-old Charles, the first to give his life, had been a freshman at Kenyon College when he enlisted )The family was wealthy by the standards of that day, and all followed either professional or military careers They usually are thought of as being Irish, and they did emigrate to America from Ireland Their “roots, however, went back to the Donald Clan, one of the most formidable of the Scottish clansDANIEL WAS BORN June 20. 1798. inCannonsburgh. Pa When he was 19 he married Martha Latimer, the daughter of Abraham and Mary Greer Latimer She was only 15, but it by no means was a shotgun wedding for their first son. Latimer A , was not bom until April 26, 1820Martha McCook, according to all reports, was the kind of friend and neighbor anyone would be proud to claim She and her husband were both staunch Presbyterians, although one of her ancestors had been a martyr to the English Reformation She was kindly,tended the sick and was known as an excellent midwife, Still, she found time to raise a beautiful flower garden as well as care for her husband and family During the nine years they lived in Cannonsburg, two more sons and a daughter blessed their home They were George Wythe, born in 1821; John James (who died at sea), in 1823, and Catherine, in 1825Shortly after Daniels marriage, Martha's father purchased a large tract of land near New Lisbon Daniel bought a farm from his father-in-law from that acreage but didn't move his family there until 1826 In addition to operating the farm, he practiced law in the village, which at that time was the Gateway to the West” since most of the emigrants to the West passed that wayThree more children, Robert Latimer, in 1827, Mary, in 1830, and Alexander McDowell increased the family to sevenWhile in New Lisbon, Daniel became a very close friend of Isaac Atkinson, who was buying up land at Centreville (now Carrollton) — at the crossroads from New Lisbon to New Philadelphia, and from Canton to Steubenville — and the two became partners in several businessesTHE EXACT DATE of the McCooks' removal to Carrollton is not known, but it probably was in 1832 or ’33 The McCook House was begun at once, but it wasnot finished until 1837 The brick for both the courthouse and the McCook House came from the Atkinson and McCook Brickyard in the same block They were hauled to a common pile by ox-team on a wooden track and used as needed for both buildingsThe McCook House now is owned and maintained by the Ohio Historical Society as a Civil War museum, one of the few in the state In cooperation with the state organization, the Carroll County Historical Society maintains its museum on the second floorFour sons and a daughter, their last children, were born to Daniel and Martha McCook in their new homeA number of years before the war broke out, however (in 1854), the family moved to Cincinnati, Daniel apparently feeling he had outgrown Carrollton where he had served more than five terms as clerk of courtsThe family had been saddened during its Carrollton years by the death not only of John James, but of his sister Catherine, 22 She died in 1847 and was buried in Grandview CemeteryJust weeks before Martha McCooks death, she went to Carrollton and arranged to have her daughter’s body removed to Spring Grove Cemetery at Cincinnati, where all the family are buried exceptJohn James I and George Wythe, who is buried in Union Cemetery at SteubenvilleMEMBERS OF THE Daniel McCook familyengaged in the Civil War, in addition to Daniel himself, were Surgeon Latimer A McCook, Gen, George W McCook, Ma| Gen. Robert L McCook, Maj. Gen Alexander McDowell McCook. Gen Daniel McCook Jr . Maj. Gen Edwin Stanton McCook, Pft Charles Morris McCook and Col John James McCook They represented all of Daniel's living sonsDr John's five sons, all of whom also marched off to war, were Maj Gen Edward M McCook, Gen Andon G McCook, Chaplain Henry C McCook. Cmdr Roderick C McCook and Lt John J McCookAll were commissioned officers except Charles Morris, who preferred to remain a volunteer privateDaniel McCook Sr was in Washington when war was declared and, although 63. volunteered his services immediately and was assigned to the militia at Cincinnati with the rank of major.When Confederate Gen John Morgan staged his raid throughout southern Ohio in 1863. Maj. Daniel heard that Frank Gurley, who had led an attack in which his son Robert had been brutally murdered the year before, was riding with MorganIn an attempt to avenge his son’s death, he attached himself to Morgan’s pursuers He had been assigned a detail toward the rear, but so anxious was he to meet face to face with Gurley that it wasn’t long before he was in the forefront He was one of the first to fall in the battle at Buffington Island where Morgan tried to cross the Ohio RiverThe irony of this event is that Gurley was not with Morgan He was in prison, having been captured previouslyMartha McCook had an exceptionally trying role during the war It was said there was not a single day that one of her family was not in danger on some distant battlefront She lost her son Charles in 1861, her son Robert in 1862. her husband in 1863 and her son Daniel Jr in 1864And that was not all Her son Latimer died from service-incurTed wounds in 1869, and both Edwin Stanton, who was assassinated in Dakota, and George Wythe also preceded her in death She died in New Lisbon in 1879 while visiting relatives.BRIEF SKETCHES of each of the sons of Martha and Daniel follow(1) — Latimer A studied medicine at Jefferson College in Pennsylvania and enlisted in the army in 1861 as an assistant surgeon He soon was promoted to surgeon with the rank of major in the 31st Regiment, Illinois Volunteers, known as “John Logan’s Regiment ”He served throughout the campaigns of the Army of the Tennessee, and while caring for the wounded during action he, himself, was wounded twice — once in the trenches before Vicksburg and again at Pocataligo Bridge, in Gen. Sherman’s movement northward from Savannah He survived the war but died in 1869 from his service-incurTed wounds.(2) — George Wythe graduated from Ohio University and studied law with — and afterwards became the partner of — Edwin M Stanton of Steubenville, who later became President Lincoln's secretary of war He served as an officer in the 3rd Ohio Regiment throughout the Mexican War and returned as its commander He was attorney general of Ohio and edited the first volume of “State Reports ”George was one of the first four brigadier generalsthe governor appointed at the outbreak of the war tocommand Ohio troops, but wounds incurred during the Mexican campaign prevented him from taking a command where he would have to be in the field However, he contributed his' share by organizing and commanding, for short periods, several Ohioregiments.He was Democratic candidate for governor in 1871 but, again, his health forced him to abandon the campaign(3) — Robert Latimer studied law with Stanton and McCook in Steubenville before going to Cincinnati where he joined Judge J B Stallo in an extensive law practice He organized and was commissioned colonel of the 9th Ohio Regiment, having enlisted more than a thousand men in less than two days.He led a brigade in West Virginia under McClellan, was transferred to the Army of the Ohio and was seriously wounded at Mills Spring, Ky In spite of his wounds he continued to command although not able t£ mount a horseWhile lying in an ambulance between two regiments of his division, he was brutally murdered by a small band of guerrillas on Aug 6, 1862 Gen McCook sassassination aroused intense feeling throughout the country and unintentionally caused the death of his father, as detailed previously.(4) — Alexander McDowell McCook graduated from West Point with the class of 1852 When war began he was made colonel of the 1st Ohio Regiment and commanded at Bull Run, or Manassas He was made a major general for his distinguished service at‘The Tribe of Dan,’ a painting by Charles T Webberthe Battle of Shiloh, and was placed In command of the Army of the Cumberland with which he served during the campaigns at PerTyville, Tullahoma, Chattanooga and Chickamauga He retired as colonel of the 6th InfantryAlexander possibly was the best military strategist of the family, although some of his decisions were questioned at times His theory was that “arm chair generals” behind the front lines were responsible for the loss of an army if their strategies were not followed to the letteT.(5) — Daniel McCook Jr was in command of a local company in Leavenworth. Kan . where he was a partner of (Gen.) William T SheTman. Hevolunteered his company, and served, among otherengagements, with the Army of the Ohio in the Shiloh campaign, as chief of staff of the First DivisionGen. Sherman, his old law partner, selected him to lead the assault on Kennesaw Mountain Leading his men in that battle, he was riddled with minie balls and fell back, mortally wounded. He was made a brigadier general for his bravery, but died July 21. 1864(6) — Edwin Stanton McCook was educated at the U S Naval Academy, but joined the 31st Illinois Regiment of Col. John Logan. He was severely wounded at Fort Donelson and twice more during the war However, he succeeded Gen. Logan in command of his regiment, brigade and division throughout the Vicksburg campaign, under Grant, and in the Chattanooga and Atlanta campaigns and Sherman’s March to the SeaHe survived the war and was made acting governor of Dakota where he was shot while presiding over a meeting dealing with Indian affairs(7) — Charles Morris, only 17. was the first of thefamily to give his life While covering the retreat of the shattered army following the first Battle of Bull Run, he saw his father tending the wounded in a field hospital and stopped to assist him As he was leaving to rejoin his company, young McCook was surrounded by several troopers from the famous Black Horse Cavalry who demanded his surrender He shot one of the troopers but was hopelessly outnumberedHis father, seeing his danger, called to him to surrender He replied. Father, I will never surrender to a rebel and a moment later he was shot down by one of the cavalrymen. His aged father carried his remains from the field, and they were afterwards buried at Spring Grove in Cincinnati(8) — John James II, named after his deceased brother, also was a 17-year-old student at KenyonCollege when he enlisted in 1862, serving with Gen Crittenden of the Army of the Ohio which subsequently became the 21st Corps of the Army of the Cumberland He served at PerTyville. Stone River. Tullahoma, Chattanooga and Chickamauga with the western armies, and in Grant's campaign from the Battle of the Wilderness to the crossing of the James River He was dangerously wounded at Shady Grove, Va , and was made a full colonel for his bravery.After the war he engaged in the practice of law in New York City, first returning to Kenyon to complete his disrupted college education He also received honorary degrees from Princeton, Harvard, Kansas University and Lafayette CollegeTHE SONS OF DR JOHN McCOOK were equallydistinguished although, professionally, their careers ran more to the arts and literature.(1) — Edward Moody McCook practiced law in Kansas and served in the legislature. He was appointed major of the 2nd Indiana Cavalry at the outbreak of the war. He assisted in Sherman’s March to the Sea and retired from the regular army with the rank of lieutenant colonel He was appointed minister to the Sandwich Islands, and twice was appointed governor of the Colorado Territory by President Grant.(2) — Anson G McCook spent several years in California before studying law with Stanton and McCook. He was elected captain of Co. H of the 2nd Regiment, the first to enter service from eastern Ohio. He took part in the first Battle of Bull Run, subsequently rising to the rank of colonel, and also was at Peach Tree Creek, near Atlanta, Perryville, Stone River, Missionary Ridge, Resaca, etc.At the close of the war he returned to Steubenville but later went to New York City He served six years in Congress from the 8th New York District and also served as secretary of the U S Senate.(3)Henry C McCook, D.D., was appointedSome of our sources of information*Ohio Handbook of the Civil War. Robert S Harper Columbus: Ohio Historical Society, 1961Driftwood, Walter Gaston Shotwell Longmans. Greenand Co Ltd., 1927Twenty Days, Dorothy Meserve Kunhardt and Philip B Kunhardt Jr New York Castle Books, 1965Ohio Reference Library Chicago and New York LewisPublishing Co , 1937Ohio Archeological and Historical Society Publications (annual editions)Harper’s Pictorial History of the Civil War Chicago Star Publishing CoCombination Atlas Map of Tuscarawas County Philadelphia LH Everts and Co, 1875; reprinted by Tuscarawas County Genealogical Society. 1973First Centennial Atlas of Tuscarawas County, Ohio, Edwin S Rhodes, publisher, 1908, reprinted by Tuscarawas County Genealogical Society, 1973Famous Leaders and Battle Scenes of the Civil War New York Mrs Frank Leslie, 18%The Atlanta Century, Norman Shavin Atlanta: I-D, Publishers, 1%5History of Tuscarawas County, Chicago: Warner, Beersand Co , 1884; reprinted by Tuscarawas CountyGenealogical Society, 1975.The Country Squire, John H Lamneck Boston Christopher Publishing House. 1%()Illustrated History of the Civil War, Henry Steele Commager New York Promontory Press 1976Ohio in the War, Cincinnati: Moore Wilstach and Baldwin, 1868Union Portraits, Gamaliel Bradford Boston: Houghton1913Wild Train, Charles O’Neill New York Random House,1956The Holmes County Rebellion, D W Garber Mansfield1%7Society of Separatists of Zoar Records, Ohio Historical Society Archives, ColumbusThe Ohio Press in the Civil War, Robert S Harper Columbus: Ohio Historical SocietyCamps and Campaigns of the 107th Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry (From August, 1862, to July, 1865), Jacob SmithThe Civil War in Pictures, Fletcher Pratt New YorkHenry Holt and Co., 1955The Silent Riders (WAKY Radio Documentarv) ThomasShelby Bob” Watson Louisville. Ky Beechmont Press,1971Singing Soldiers. A History of the Civil War in Song, Paul Glass and Louis C Singer New York Grosset and Dunlap,1964Favor the Bold — Custer The Civil War Years, D A Kingsley New York Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1968Favor the Bold — Custer: the Indian Fighter, D A Kingsley New York: Holt Rinehart and Winston, 1968The Life of General Custer, Milton Ronsheim, Cadiz, O , 1929; reprinted by Monroe County, Mich., Library System,1978,The Custer Myth, W A Graham Harrisburg. Pa :Stackpole Co., 1953.Sentinel in the East, Albert L Zobell Jr Salt Lake City: Nicholas G Morgan Sr , 1%5Bucktailed Wildcats, Edwin A Glover. New York Thomas Yoseloff, 1960.A True Story of Chas. W Quantrell and His GuerrillaBand, J P Burch, 1923.Gray Ghosts of the Confederacy, Richard S BrownleeBaton Rouge Louisiana State University Press, 1%3William Clarke Quantrill: His Life and Times, Albert Castel New York Frederick Fell Inc , 1%2chaplain of the 41st Illinois Regiment with the rank of first lieutenant. He later was ordained by the Steubenville Presbytery and served a church in St Louis, Mo., until he was called to Philadelphia to assume the pastorate of one of the most prominentchurches in the EastHe was author of several theological and ecclesiastical books but was primarily a naturalist, writing several important books on spiders and ants(4) — Roderick Sheldon McCook, U S Navy, was a graduate of Annapolis in 1859. His first service was in the Congo River in Africa from whence he was sent home with a prize crew in charge of a captured slaverWhile on duty off the coast of Newberne, he offered the services of his ship to assist a battle on land, with the result that he received the surrender of a Confederate regiment of infantry, probably the only surrender of its kind during the war He retired in 1873 because of failing health.(5) — John James McCook served as lieutenant of the 1st Virginia Volunteers, a Union regimentrecruited exclusively from Ohio Ohio had so many volunteers that it far exceeded its quota and helped fill out some that were short.He was at Kellysville. one of the earliest engagements of the war A graduate of Trinity College at Hartford, he entered the Episcopal ministry He was rector of St. John’s at Detroit, Mich., and later at St John’s at East Hartford, where he also served as professor of modern languages at Trinity Collegei*§■i H.’(t ■Infantry tributeI he Soldiers Monument at the courthouse in New Philadelphia was erected under the direction of Lt. Charles C Welty, Capt. Daniel Korns, Solomon Stocker and Col Oliver P Taylor, representatives of the 30th, 51st, 80th and 161st regiments of the Ohio Volunteer Infantry Money to finance construction of the monument and specifications for it were left in his will by Henry Kaldenbaugh of New Philadelphia I he monument depicts a Civil Warinfantry soldier on guard in winter Kaldenbaughenlisted in the 51st Regiment and, starting in November 1862, was alternately attached to the staffs of six general officers Following his discharge in 1865 he served as secretary to the American consul at Amsterdam, Holland, returning after a year to New Philadelphia where he helped establish a bank
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Dover Times Reporter
Dover, Ohio, US
Thu, Apr 17, 1980
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